PROGRESO, Yucatan.— The City Council informed on Thursday November 7th, that as a measure against the large amounts of sargassum arriving to the Yucatecn shores, workers of Public Services and Ecology, as well as staff from the Federal Terrestrial Maritime Zone (Zofemat), carried out an intense clean up operation along the port’s beaches.
Karim Dib López, head of Public Services and Ecology, reported that the tasks started at 4:30 AM, and they assigned special crews of just over 20 people to clean up both of the main Progreso beaches.
“We are also working together with the crews of the Federal Zone, to promptly address these sections, as commissioned by Mayor Julián Zacarías Curi, because although this situation does not affect the tourists, we seek to avoid bad smells and a bad image of the port, ”he added.
Ali Yamil Dib Muñoz, head of Zofemat in Progreso, stated that 66 people are part of the clean-up crews of the “Beach and Ciénega Clean-up program”, established by the agency in May with the purpose of inviting the citizens to pay the Zofemat tax and have the right to demand a clean beach.
With both groups operating, both sides of the Progreso Malecón are constantly clean, in order to guarantee residents and visitors beaches free of waste and garbage, and be able to obtain in the year 2020 two Blue Flag badges for both Progreso’s main beaches.
The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.
Progreso officials stressed that they will continue with awareness campaigns to eradicate pollution from the coast, invite people not to litter and denounce whoever does so.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom
